Mascarpone cheese is an integral part of many gourmet desserts. In this case, the only thing that stops the housewives from trying a new recipe is the price of this product. In some stores, it happens infrequently, because the cost is not conducive to high customer demand. Therefore, the question of how to make mascarpone cheese at home will sooner or later interest every cook. If this has already happened, then our article is especially for you.
The basis for masterpieces
One name already makes you want to create! Homemade creamy dessert can surprise and please the most dear guests. But for this you need to first buy all the ingredients or learn how to make mascarpone cheese at home. Immediately amendment. This mass is not at all cheese. But let's talk about everything in order.
So, this recipe was born in Italy, around the 15th century. And since then, our compatriots traveling abroad do not cease to admire the taste of goodies. The product consists of heavy cream. But enzymes and starter cultures are absent, therefore it cannot be called 100% cheese. In order for the cream to curl, you need acid, such as lemon juice.
Use cases
Most often, desserts are prepared from this gentle mass resembling a cream. But it goes well with red fish and anchovies, with spices and herbs, tomatoes. Exotic lovers can also try more bold combinations - with oranges and pineapples, shrimps, various berries. In any case, this will diversify your table and make the menu more interesting.
For homemade tiramisu or the most delicate cheesecake, this is exactly what you need. And someone just wants to feast on a mascarpone spoon from a jar. Try, experiment - you will surely find your own version of its use. In the meantime, let's find out how to make mascarpone cheese at home.
Cream based
Advocates of a healthy lifestyle and proper nutrition are warned: it is very tasty and high-calorie. But sometimes you can still feast on. Within reasonable limits. The calorie content of this cream is approximately 440 kcal per 100 g of product. That is, you need to use it, observing the restrictions.
But we were distracted. Let's get back to how to make mascarpone cheese at home. To do this, you will need:
- Fat cream - 1 liter.
- Citric acid - 0.25 teaspoon, or 2 tablespoons of lemon juice.
As you can see, the set of products is not so big. In addition, you will need a saucepan, a cloth towel (linen) and a colander. It is best not to use cheesecloth, because then there will be more cereal loss.
Cooking method
And now, in order about how to make mascarpone cheese:
- Shake the cream (if the product is good, then pour it will not work) into the pan.
- We put on a slow fire and heat. Boiling should not be allowed, so we monitor very carefully.
- We dilute citric acid in a spoon of water and pour into cream.
- We continue to heat and knead until thickened. Usually enough for 10 minutes.
- With a clean linen napkin, we cover the colander installed above the pan of a larger diameter, and pour our mass into it.
- After about an hour, the serum will go away. Now the mass resembles a dough. It must be transferred to a suitable pan and put in the refrigerator for a day for maturing.
At the output, you will receive approximately 500 g of product. It depends on how sooner or later you decide to remove it from the napkin for weighing, or rather, how much whey the product has stored.
For dense cheese
The softer you want to get the finished product, the earlier it can be removed from the napkin and put in the refrigerator. In this case, the output will be a cream that is perfect for sandwiches and desserts. But how to make mascarpone cheese at home so that it can be cut? To do this, give him 6-9 hours to hang in a napkin, after which, without taking it out, put it under oppression and put it in the refrigerator for a day. From time to time you need to remove and mix the mass. Lumps may remain in it, but let them not bother you. When you start making the cream, they will break perfectly with a mixer.
Cottage Cheese Recipe
This is not entirely true. Cream will also appear in the composition, but cottage cheese is added to them. The result is a mass of a slightly different taste, perfect for snacks with herbs. To prepare you will need:
- Cream - 200 g.
- Cottage cheese - 500 g.
- Oil - 250 g.
Now let's consider how to make mascarpone cheese at home. To do this, you need to soften the oil, so remove it from the freezer in advance. If you forgot, just put in the microwave for a moment. Now mix with the rest of the ingredients in one pan, place it in a water bath and begin to whisk. The heating temperature should be approximately 50 degrees. As soon as a homogeneous, slightly viscous mass is obtained, you can stop whipping and transfer the product to the jar in which it will be stored.
Turn sour cream into cheese
This is one of the most affordable ways to prepare a base for desserts. To do this, you need 0.5 liters of good fat sour cream. Of course, it is best to take from farmers, not in the store. In this case, you can be sure that you bought a truly natural product, without the addition of vegetable fats and preservatives. The cooking method is also very happy. You just need to hang sour cream in gauze overnight. From 500 g of the product you will get 250 g of excellent mascarpone.
Homemade cheese without cooking
Busy housewives are sometimes frightened by the need to spend extra time in the kitchen. Do not worry, there is a way that will do without it. We give an excellent home recipe. Mascarpone cheese is tender and very tasty. Even foodies can argue that it is made from pure cream.
For cooking, you will need to pack fermented baked milk in a tetrapack. You can immediately take a few, because they eat this cheese just instantly. So, we put the bought fermented baked milk in the freezer and leave until completely freezing. After a day, we take out, cut the cardboard packaging and spread the frozen fermented baked milk on gauze, in a colander. We substitute a pan for collecting whey under it and remove the structure in the refrigerator. So the thawing process will be slow. In about a day, the whey drains, and on the cheesecloth there will remain a delicious cheese mass. As you can see, there are a lot of cooking options for mascarpone. You can choose the one that is more to your liking. Now let's talk about what you can cook on the basis of homemade mascarpone.
What does he eat with
When a jar of fresh and very tasty product appeared in your refrigerator, a logical question arises: what can be prepared from it? The Italians have long learned that on the basis of this cheese it will turn out not only tiramisu. And if now he becomes a regular guest in your refrigerator, why not adopt their experience? The creamy mass goes well with coffee, vanilla and chocolate. Fresh fruits, other dairy products, mushrooms, fish and ham are suitable. Let's look at what you can do with mascarpone cheese. A huge number of recipes:
- Sandwiches. This will not require special training. Just mix a spoonful of creamy mass with chopped herbs and spread over the toast. A great addition to morning coffee. A slice of ham will also be appropriate.
- Often, beginner-cooks are interested in how to make cream with mascarpone cheese. There is nothing easier. Mix cheese with powdered sugar - and the most delicate cream is ready. They can smear sand or biscuit cakes, fill fresh buns.
- Pies and cheesecakes. Here it can be used in the form of a filling, sweet sauce or participate in the preparation of glaze.
- Risotto You can add mascarpone instead of butter in this dish. As a result, palatability and calorie content are improved.
It should be noted that those who want to lose weight should not use this delicacy and use it for cooking. Its calorie content is very high, but the protein content in mascarpone is relatively small.
Tender cake
Usually, seeing the value of this cheese, the hostesses simply pass by. But if you cook it at home, the question immediately arises what can be done with mascarpone cheese. There are many recipes, but one of the most interesting options is a tender cake with cherries. For cooking you will need:
- Egg - 3 pcs.
- Flour - 150 g.
- Sugar - 300 g.
- Cream 33% - 0.25 L.
- Cheese - 0.25 kg.
- Milk Chocolate - 100 g.
- Cherry compote - 1 can.
Beat eggs with sugar, add flour and knead thin dough. Put it in a greased butter mold and bake at a temperature of +180 degrees for 25 minutes. The foundation is ready. Further still easier. Without removing from the mold, soak the cake with compote and lay out a layer of cherry. Whip cream with 150 g of sugar, add cheese and stir. Grate the chocolate separately. Put the cream on the cherry, sprinkle with chocolate and put in the refrigerator for the whole night. In the morning, a fantastic dessert is ready. Now you know how to make a mascarpone cheese cake. Be sure to try this recipe in the coming holidays.
Homemade "Raffaello"
And if there is no time for a cake, but you really want to please your relatives, prepare these wonderful candies. They are quite difficult to distinguish from branded ones. You will need:
- Mascarpone - 150 g.
- Coconut Chips - 150 g.
- Powdered Sugar - 60 g.
- Almonds - 17 pcs.
- Vanilla tincture.
The first step is to peel the almonds. For this, nucleoli will need to be doused with boiling water. Now we mix coconut flakes with icing sugar and grind in a coffee grinder. The finer the dust, the better it will be. Add cheese to this crumb and mix. We form balls from the resulting mass and put a nut in each. After that, roll in coconut and move them to the dish. You can slightly freeze it before serving. These sweets have their own flavor when served only from the refrigerator, and when they stand in the heat.
Well, of course, you can make countless snacks using tartlets from shortcrust pastry, mascarpone and any ingredients to taste. It can be greens, red fish, vegetables, smoked meat, fruits and berries.